1. Mobile to Mainframe Integration Strategies
Ron Byer Jr.
Vertex Interactive Inc.
Session 103-U 16-Oct @ 17:15
INTERNATIONAL TANDEM USERS’ GROUP
A Compaq User Group 1

2. Creating architectures that enable portable applications to inter-operate with existing IT infrastructure.
M2M
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3. What is mobile computing ?
Exchanging information with a portable device unbounded by location.
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4. Mobile computing scope
Mobile computing includes :
Batch Devices: Infrequent connectivity, often file transfer.
Wireless (RF) Devices: Radio based, always connected, typically limited range
Cell-based Devices: Connect-on-demand, approaching universal range.
Cell - based devices represent true “mobile” computing in today’s marketplace.
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5. Typical Mobile applications
Route accounting [Batch]
Utilities [meter reading]
Van sales (delivery/order taking)
RF applications [Full time connectivity]
Warehouse management
Inventory control
Cellular (CDPD/GSM)
Stock trades/quotes [connect-on-demand]
Electronic mail delivery
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6. Computing Platforms MS-DOS PalmOS Windows CE
Examples : Husky FS/3, Symbol 3100 series
Used in both Batch and Wireless applications
Essentially, the “old guard”
PalmOS
Examples: 3COM Palm series, Symbol SPT1500
Moving up from PDA status
Windows CE
Examples: Compaq iPAQ, Compaq Aero, Symbol PPT2700
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7. Mobile Architectures Infrequent/Batch, On-demand, Full-time
Architecture dictated by requirements
Connectivity requirements
Infrequent/Batch, On-demand, Full-time
Data/time sensitivity
Integration points
Existing applications
Integration style
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8. Peer application issues
Existing desktop User Interfaces
Presentation details have to be redone (screen limitations)
Minimize amount of redundant business logic.
Isolate business logic from presentation !
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9. Host application issues
Similar issues to Web to legacy integration
Minimize amount of interface code
Fragile, maintenance-intensive
Minimize amount of re-work on host
Host may be serving multiple environments.
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10. Highlights Standard platforms :: PalmOS (and Java), WinCE
Benefit from “desktop advances” to date
Graphical, color, point/click interfaces
Thin client development.
Many mobile applications have desktop counterparts. Don’t do the same application two ways !
Standard platforms :: PalmOS (and Java), WinCE
Seamless integration with all network components, including middle-tier application servers, as well as corporate MIS systems.
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11. M2M Schematic
Web Middleware:
evolve, MQSeries, NetWeave
Mobile Middleware:
MQ-E, SQL-A, WAP
Inter/Intra Net
IT Network
Corporate Legacy Host:
Tandem,DEC,
MVS/CICS
Mid Tier Applications:
NT, UNIX
Mobile Applications:
PalmOS, WinCE
Browser Applications
M2M architectures may parallel Web 3 tier infrastructure in many ways
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12. Mobile tiers
Mobile networks may be two or three tiered, depending on requirements.
Each “tier” represents a wide range of potential architectures, depending on connectivity type and requirements.
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13. 2 Tier networks (classic)
DOS-based Batch portable device, increasingly WinCE or PalmOS platforms.
Synchronization with server over hardwired or dial-up connection once or twice a day.
Communication mechanism typically uni or bi-directional file transfer.
Integration required in order to manipulate transferred file into file format of server.
Route accounting applications
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14. Classic Tools – Portable Devices
Portable device development tools
Vendor-supplied SDK and downloading facility
Typically written in “C”
Software tied to vendor
Independent toolset targeting multiple vendor devices.
Best example: Code Warrior
Development/Debug on PC, download when tested
Provides vendor-neutral implementations for supported devices.
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15. Classic Tools – Server side
Server development tools
Application may be minimal, or may consist of database oriented screen application.
Powerbuilder, Visual Basic, against Oracle or SQL-Server database.
Increasingly, this Server application may be a 2 tier web implementation, providing a browser interface to database.
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16. Classic -- Integration
Integration consists of file manipulation between flat file format from portable device, to SQL format of server database.
text data, comma delimited, may be directly importable into database using bulkcopy-style facilities
Custom software may be written to filter, manipulate the file data in any meaningful way.
Same issues exist for data exported from the Server to be downloaded back to the device.
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17. 2 Tier Networks (RF)
Warehouse application, I.e. Inventory picking/packing and put-away.
Direct, full-time connection to Server.
Two implementation types :
terminal emulation of external systems (such as 5250, 3270, DEC VT100, or Tandem 6530 emulation
4GL environment for rapid application development. (Symbol’s MCL product)
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18. RF Integration Terminal Emulation 4GL tools Limited
Must be done with host application that is generating screens
4GL tools
File based, either Flat or SQL
PB/VB/Browser applications may integrate with RF implementation through the Dataserver
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19. The next generation Mobile implementation requirements
integration with both middle and host tiers,
concurrent direct and web applications performing related, but not identical transactions.
New Tools are becoming available for aiding in these deployments.
“Mobile Middleware”
WAP
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20. A fork in the road When to use which ? Mobile Architectures
Microbrowser/WAP/Web
Mobile Middleware
When to use which ?
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21. Decision factors Target Deployment device Criticality of information
Phone : Browser approach, since mobile middleware is targeted at PDA market, at least right now.
Criticality of information
Stock quotes, flight status, etc. work fine using browser approach
Large funds transfers, stock trades, might require more robust facilities of mobile middleware.
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22. Mobile Middleware Middleware Mobile Middleware
Software layer that insulates applications from the vagaries of heterogeneous computing.
Mobile Middleware
Software component that insulates applications from the vagaries of mobile connectivity issues.
Database and messaging variants
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23. Mobile Messaging Products :: IBM MQ-Everyplace
Oriented towards application-to-application messaging
Benefits
Platform transparency
Location and protocol transparency
Isolation from “when connected” vs. “when not connected”
Self descriptive messaging
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24. Mobile Database Products :: Small Footprint :: 50-70K
Sybase SQLAnywhere,
IBM DB2 Everywhere
Oracle 8i Lite.
Small Footprint :: 50-70K
Local, embedded database, with replication strategy when connected with Server.
Most beneficial to database oriented applications.
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25. Wireless Access Protocol
Architecture for creating Mobile applications in a Web world.
The WAP goal is to adapt existing technologies to working in the mobile environment.
Focused on the wireless telephone market initially, but broadening into the PDA world as well.
Suite of components proposing all forms of standardization, including Transport, transaction, session and application interface semantics.
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26. WML
Wireless Markup Language is a version of HTML/XML for the Mobile platform.
WML forms the basis of emerging Mobile browsers, and Mobile Web servers.
Tools for generating WML applications will be very similar to existing HTML/XML editors.
Provides facilities for both connected and disconnected operations.
Programming a mobile device is like creating a web site.
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27. WBXML
XML is the de-facto standard tool for open, self-describing messages.
It tends to be verbose, which is problematic in a limited environment, both for transmission and storage reasons.
The Wireless Binary XML standard is an effort to create a binary, compact representation of XML for use by mobile devices.
WBXML is a run-time translation of XML, not a replacement or alternative.
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28. WAP Gateway Heart of the architecture
The WAP Gateway translates Wireless traffic (WML, WBXML) to standardized Web format (XML, HTML).
From WAP Gateway, Mobile traffic can be processed like standard Web traffic.
However, the presentation is not the same !
Even on the Web, separating presentation from logic is paramount.
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29. WAP Status Much further developed in Europe than in the US
The Wireless Access Protocol is a suite of specifications developed by a consortium of vendors.
WAP is aligned with the World Wide Web Consortium.
WAP compliant products are starting to emerge, but many products are yet to come.
Definitely in the “early adopter” stage.
Much further developed in Europe than in the US
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30. Tools Nokia WAP Server Nokia WAP Toolkit
Mobile “Web Server” for any WAP 1.1 compliant device.
Administration similar to Web server support.
Provides the portal to legacy applications and services !
Nokia WAP Toolkit
Tools for developing WAP applications.
Includes composition, testing, and debugging facilities on a PC-based simulator.
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31. Tools Phone.com UP Product suite Wireless carrier products
UP.Link, UP.applications -
wireless internet services and applications, such as .
Wireless phone manufacturer products
UP.browser : WAP micro browser for inclusion in mobile phones.
Up.Smart : PDA features for mobile phones
Independent developer toolkits
UP.SDK : tools for creating and testing WAP content on standard web servers, with PC based simulators
Free !
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32. Middle tier XML WAP approach Mobile Middleware
WAP Gateway will generate XML from WbXML
Mobile Middleware
MQ-Everyplace will initially provide name/value tagged data pairs, which is easily converted to XML.
It is straightforward to generate XML from SQL.
Oracle 8i generates XML.
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33. Into the Enterprise...
Once in XML,integration opportunities abound:
XML messaging ( is fast becoming), has become the lingua franca of interoperable messaging.
Self descriptive messaging in general provides a straightforward path to both transformation and translation capabilities.
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34. Tranformation/Translation
Transformation
Filtering messages based on specified rules for the purpose of modifying the names, types, and values of individual elements.
Translation
Changing the representation of a given message from one format to another. “Legacy” translation involves changing the representation to a fixed size/fixed offset message structure typically used by legacy applications.
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35. Enterprise Tools
XML based messages can be routed into Message brokers, such as IBM’s MQSeries Integrator.
XML based messages can be routed into transformation Engines such as Mercator.
On a lower price scale, XML based messages can be routed through evolve, which provides both transformation and translation services.
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36. The result...
I can implement a mobile application that includes corporate IT host integration.
I can implement such a configuration with a minimum of fragile context-sensitive interfacing software.
The mobile application can share business logic with desktop and Web editions of the same application.
The tools to implement these strategies are coming out now. Fast
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37. The way forward Mobile device applications
Native applications using mobile middleware for robust, transactional applications
- and/or -
WAP-WMLscript applications for lighter-weight Web-oriented applications.
Focus on arriving at the middle tier with self describing data.
XML
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38. References WAP www.wapforum.org Symbol Technologies www.symbol.com
Mercator
IBM DB2 & MQSeries
Vertex evolve
Sybase SQL-Anywhere
Nokia WAP Suite
Phone.com Universal SDK
XML
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39. Thanks !
Any questions, comments, etc, don’t hesitate to write me at
For a current version of this presentation, leave a business card and/or address, and we will it to you.
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